During The Jim Crow Era

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Without a doubt, the statement in the Declaration of Independence that all men are created equal is the moral compass for all American values and continues to resonate within the American spirit today. However, throughout U.S. history millions of Americans have also suffered and died from a darker side living in the underbelly of the American society. During these notorious times, millions of individuals had been oppressed because of their skin color, sex, and ethnic background. Despite these dark times, however, there will always exist those who has risk their life and time for the future of society. During the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln announced the Emancipation Proclamation, which was a promise to all men, women, and children that slavery would no longer exist in the American society. Yet, even after the …show more content…
These laws are often referred to as the Jim Crow Laws. According to government officials, these laws would not rob African Americans of their rights, but rather keep them “separate but equal”. These included, segregation in public places, voter denial, and certain social etiquette that reinforced black inferiority. (“The Truth About Jim Crow p. 10) Another crushing influence during the Jim Crow era, was the highly known white supremacist group, the Ku Klux Klan. This group did not agree with Republican views that blacks should receive racial, political, and economical equality, and with their constantly growing number of members, it was difficult for African Americans to avoid the terrorization inflicted by them. During the Civil Rights Movement, they made sure to show their sentiments towards this movement by murdering several civil rights activists and notoriously bombing places of worship like the Baptist church in Birmingham, Alabama. (“The Truth About Jim Crow” p.

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